Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-13
Faith In a Myth.

Mr.. Charles Dudley Warner is
thoughtful man, and what be has re-
Gently written about the South IL, for the
most part, true. But Mr.. Warner some-
times makes mistakes, and he makes one
In his article In Hsrper's for March wnen
be says that the greatest revolution 10
Southern sentiment IL in regard 10 Inc
dignity of labor. He implies that IN the
past labor was regarded at the South as
degrading, but that now just the re-
verse is true. Indeed. his BELIEF
10 that there was once at the
South widespread contempt Tor
those who worked for their living. In
entertaining it, he does not differ from
most people of the North. The belief Dad
its origin in a lack Of knowledge OF the
facts. Because slavery was an instilu-
ton at the South, the people at the North
thought 1t must be true that all slave
owners spent their days In jdIeness ana
In cultlvating contempt for those VINO
earned living by manual labor. The be-
lief, perhaps, was strengthened by the
habits OF some Of tbe rich young men VINO
were educated al the North, and by the
prncsly customs Of the planters VINO
spent their summers at Northern resorts.
The truth is not only was there no
widespread contempt at the South for
those who worked for their living. but
there were few slave owners who did not
teach the members OF their families
very hearty contempt for idleness. Were
William Fl. Seward alive, he might give
important testimony on this subject. He
spent some months in a county OF this
State as the principal Of a flourishing
school. His patrons were all slave
owners, and they were all rich. None of
them failed to teach their children
to work, and that the latter profted by
the lessons they received is attested by
the fact that they and their children are
now among the most Industrious citizens
OF their county. 1t may not be generally
known that one Of the first schools Of
technology established In this
country was Mercer University,
one OF the most useful institutions
of learning in this State. Its seat is now
Macon, but when it was established 1t
was at Penfield, where the University
was known as the Mercer Manual Labor
School. Long before the war between the
States the sons OF rich slave owners were
among its attendants, and not a few Of
them still live to bear witness TO the prac-
teal lessons that were taught Them on
the subject OF the dignity OF labor Aside
from these special cases, it was the rule
all over the South that the young should
be taught to work.
When the war ended there were very
few at the South who failed to set ABOUT
rebuilding their lost fortunes with energy
and patience. L, is worthy of note, too,
that they were almost entirely unaIded
by recruits from the outside. Unlike
the North and West, the South
was not developed and strengthened
by immigration. Native-boru whites,
aided By their former slaves, covered up
the ravages of war and brought the South
up to its acknowledgement. 1t Is only
recently that aid from the outside has
been offered.
The faith which Mr.. Warner and others
OF the North put in the myth that the peo-
pie OF the South evsr failed to appreciate
the dignity of labor is misplaced.